Calgary Sights

Full Calgary Travel Guide »    Calgary Interactive Map »    Print This Article »

The African Savannah Building at the Calgary Zoo

• Prince's Island Park, immediately north of Eau Claire in the Bow River (from downtown, there are bridges to the park near the end of 2nd St SW, 3rd St SW and 6th St SW). Calgary's largest inner city park is an island with a number of pleasant trails for walking and relaxing. In the summer, it plays host to Shakespeare in the Park www.mtroyal.ab.ca/conservatory/sitp and it is also the site of two of the city's largest annual festivals: the Calgary Folk Music Festival www.calgaryfolkfest.com and Carifest www.carifestcalgary.ca (Calgary's annual festival celebrating the city's large West Indian population).

• Barclay Parade: Barclay Mall is a pedestrian mall that runs from Eau Claire on the north to Stephen Avenue in the south. It is home to a number of high end shops and encompasses the Penny Lane Entertainment District.

• Devonian Gardens, 317 7th Ave SW (4th floor of TD Square), ☎ +1 780-987-3054, www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_545823_0_0_18/Devonian+Gardens.htm. The Devonian Gardens is a large indoor urban park located in TD Square, above the shopping. It is currently closed for renovations until 2010.

• Calgary Tower, 101 9th Ave SW (corner of 9th Ave SW & Centre St), ☎ +1 403-266-7171, www.calgarytower.com. The Calgary Tower may not be quite as impressive as the CN Tower in Toronto, but it still commands a great view over the city and the surroundings. On a clear day you can see the Rockies to the west. It features a revolving gourmet restaurant, a bar, and an observation deck. The tower backs onto railway tracks and some run down blocks on the 10th Avenue side and is best approached from 8th Avenue for a more enjoyable experience.

• Stephen Avenue Walk: As one of Calgary's most famous streets, Stephen Avenue (8th Avenue S between Barclay Mall and 2nd Street E) was declared a National Historic District by the Canadian Government. It is a major venue for boutique shopping, bars, pubs and restaurants. The mall is free of traffic throughout most of the day.

• Chinatown: Canada's third largest Chinatown is in the northeast portion of downtown Calgary. It is the heart of Calgary's Asian diaspora, although much of north and east Calgary has a Pacific Rim influence. The area of about a half-dozen blocks is located along Centre Street S, from 4 Ave S (on the south) to the Bow River (on the north). Calgary's Chinatown packs in a dense network of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and other Asian restaurants, shops, housing and cultural facilities. The area along Centre Street on the north side of the river almost functions as a loosely organized "second Chinatown" with Chinese-oriented businesses stretching for 20 or more blocks.

• Olympic Plaza, 800 block of Macleod Trail SE (corner of 8th Ave SE and Macleod Trail). This public square was built as the site of medal presentations during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. During the summer, waders can enjoy the water-filled plaza, while winter visitors can go skating.

• Glenbow Museum, 130 — 9 Avenue SE, ☎ +1 403-268-4100, www.glenbow.org. 9AM - 5PM M-Sa, Noon - 5PM Su. Western Canada's largest museum, with over 93,000 square feet of exhibition space spreading over three floors. More than 20 galleries are filled with artifacts from Glenbow's collection of over a million objects, emphasizing local history. Regularly changing visiting exhibits focus on art or more distant cultures. $14/$9 (adult/youth).

• Telus World of Science Calgary (The Calgary Science Centre), 701 11th St SW (located in the West End), ☎ +1 403-268-8300, www.calgaryscience.ca. 10AM - 4PM M-Th, 10AM - 5PM F-Su. A favorite of Calgary children and science-lovers alike since it opened 38 years ago. It contains a planetarium and telescope, a large domed theatre and two exhibit halls. $14.25/$10 (adult/youth).

• Calgary Zoo, 1300 Zoo Rd NE (LRT 202 - Zoo station), ☎ +1 403-232-9300, www.calgaryzoo.org. Open daily 9AM - 5PM. The world-class Calgary Zoo is home to over 1,000 animals from all over the world, as well as to the Botanical Garden and a Prehistoric Park for dinosaur lovers. It is the second largest zoo in Canada. $18/$10 (adult/youth).

• Fort Calgary Historic Park, 750 9th Ave SE, ☎ +1 403-290-1875, www.fortcalgary.ab.ca. Open daily 9AM - 5PM. Before becoming a city in 1894, the Calgary area was home to Fort Calgary. The Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) fort was built in 1875. Today, Fort Calgary, located in Inglewood at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers is the city's oldest historic monument. $11/$7 (adult/youth).

• Inglewood Bird Sanctuary & Nature Centre, 2425 9 Ave SE, [28]. Trails open from sunrise to sunset, Nature Center open daily from 10AM - 4PM (closed M Oct-Apr). A 32-hectare wildlife reserve that offers more than two kilometres of walking trails throughout the riverine forest. More than 250 species of birds and 300 species of plants, plus several kinds of mammals, have been observed in the area. Free.

• Stampede Grounds, 1410 Olympic Way SE, calgarystampede.com. The site of Calgary's world-famous exhibition and rodeo, the Calgary Stampede grounds are located on the east end of the Beltline in Victoria Park. Not only are the grounds the site of the excitement of every July's Calgary Stampede, they also house a conference and exhibition centre (the Round-Up Centre) and a casino.

• Pengrowth Saddledome, www.pengrowthsaddledome.com: Located on the Stampede Grounds, Calgary's largest hockey arena plays host to the Calgary Flames (hockey), the Calgary Hitmen (junior hockey), the Calgary Roughnecks (lacrosse), and many concerts.

• The Military Museums. The most extensive military museum in Canada outside of the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, this facility houses galleries devoted to four local Army regiments and their service in the Boer War, the World Wars, the Korean War, the Cold War, and post-1945 operations with the UN and NATO including Cyprus, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, several general interest galleries, the former Naval Museum of Alberta, and an outdoor historical vehicle display.

• Battalion Park. A tribute to local soldiers that trained for the First World War, this is an interpretive 0.5 km hiking trail up the side of the bluff overlooking the former Sarcee Camp. Soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force left enormous battalion numerals spelled out in whitewashed stones which have been restored as a permanent memorial. The interpretive trail also includes a monument and a self-guided tour with historical tablets and photographs.